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BOCC adopts 2025 policy directives focusing on infrastructure, broadband and airport development
Summary
The board adopted its 2025 policy directives, emphasizing capital investments, public health and human services priorities, broadband expansion and airport development for firefighting and economic uses.
The Garfield County Board of County Commissioners on Jan. 20 adopted its 2025 policy directives, the high-level roadmap county departments will use to implement the approved 2025 budget. The directives list priorities across six areas: infrastructure and capital investment, public health and human services, community engagement and transparency, economic development, federal/state policy engagement and internal organizational services.
Key highlights: Commissioners and county staff emphasized broadband deployment (carrier-neutral locations, last-mile provider partnerships, and DOLA/BED funding) as a multi-year economic development priority designed to connect approximately 4,000 underserved residents. The policy document also calls for advancing airport development — both hangar development for business aviation and airport infrastructure required to support wildland firefighting operations. The BOCC asked departments to return to the board during strategic planning (Feb. 5) with a prioritized capital list to guide execution of about $11.2 million in capital projects budgeted for the year.
Why it matters: The directives translate the adopted 2025 budget into actionable priorities for departments and outside partners; broadband and airport projects are intended to produce long-term economic and emergency-response benefits across the county.
Outcome and next steps: The directives were approved and county staff will incorporate them into department work plans. The BOCC scheduled a deeper discussion on Feb. 5 during strategic planning to develop measurable goals and a prioritized capital list.
Ending: The BOCC directed staff to return with department-specific rollouts, timelines and measurable deliverables for priority items, including broadband provider selection updates and airport project milestones.
